Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden of Oregon and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., made a joint announcement July 31 that they will request a vote to end the new International Emergency Economic Powers Act declaration for Brazil, that underpins an additional 40% tariff on a portion of Brazil's exports.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Wednesday that he and ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., “will soon introduce together legislation to modernize NOAA Weather Radio warning systems.” Lobbyists told us the measure is likely to be identical to the NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act filed by Cruz and then-Chair Cantwell during the last Congress. That bill, which the Senate approved by unanimous consent in 2023, would have required NOAA to upgrade infrastructure to improve reliable transmission of emergency alerts and reduce the system’s use of copper wire transmissions (see 2312190081). It also would have required increasing NOAA Weather Radio coverage to 98-99% of the U.S. population, including more rural areas.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
The U.S. filed its reply briefs in a pair of appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit on whether challenges to the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act belong in the Court of International Trade. Responding to arguments from the State of California and various members of the Blackfeet Nation indigenous tribe, the government said the case "arises out of" President Donald Trump's executive orders implementing the tariffs and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, giving CIT exclusive jurisdiction under Section 1581(i) (State of California v. Trump, 9th Cir. # 25-3493) (Susan Webber v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 9th Cir. # 25-2717).
Goods from Mexico that aren't subject to Section 232 tariffs will continue to be excluded from tariffs if they can meet USMCA rules of origin, as will auto parts, President Donald Trump announced about 12 hours ahead of the deadline. For goods outside the Section 232 action, and not eligible for the free-trade agreement benefit, Trump had said the rate would go from 25% to 30%.
The Court of International Trade on July 29 denied importers Johanna Foods' and Johanna Beverage Company's application for a temporary restraining order against President Donald Trump's threatened 50% tariff on Brazil. Judge Timothy Reif held that the importers failed to show "a likelihood that immediate and irreparable harm would occur before the threatened August 1, 2025 tariff" (Johanna Foods v. Executive Office of the President of the United States, CIT # 25-00155).
The White House is leaving most countries that buy more U.S. exports than they sell to the U.S. at a 10% tariff, and is increasing tariffs from 10% to somewhere between 15% and 41% for countries that have trade deficits with the U.S., with a notable exception -- Nicaragua, which will remain at 10%.
The Court of International Trade on July 29 denied importers Johanna Foods' and Johanna Beverage Company's application for a temporary restraining order against President Donald Trump's threatened 50% tariff on Brazil. Judge Timothy Reif held that the importers failed to show "a likelihood that immediate and irreparable harm would occur before the threatened August 1, 2025 tariff" (Johanna Foods v. Executive Office of the President of the United States, CIT # 25-00155).
The ability to import low-value packages duty-free will end for goods from around the world on Aug. 29, the president declared in an executive order July 30.
Exports are a crucial part of the Trump administration's AI Action Plan, whose goal is for the U.S. to win the AI race, said Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, during a Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) event Wednesday. There's also the potential for a revival of the 10-year moratorium on enforcing state AI regulations in the action plan, an official said, though specifics weren't provided.